


Iron sharpens iron

by chaos_is_welcome



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Introspection, Season/Series 02, Slavery, TLKFFF2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:29:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25262371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaos_is_welcome/pseuds/chaos_is_welcome
Summary: As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs.When Steapa had hidden in the tall grass just shy of a Northumbrian beach, waiting for the ship that might be carrying Uhtred of Beddanburg, he had not truly comprehended what "sold into slavery" would look like.For the TLKFFF prompt #30: Steapa's thoughts on Finan
Relationships: Finan & Steapa (The Last Kingdom), Finan & Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Steapa (The Last Kingdom)/Other(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29
Collections: The Last Kingdom Fanfic Fest





	Iron sharpens iron

When Steapa had hidden in the tall grass just shy of a Northumbrian beach, waiting for the ship that might be carrying Uhtred of Beddanburg, he had not truly comprehended what "sold into slavery" would look like. Steapa is no stranger to slavery. In fact, he was raised a slave, and was only freed when he entered the king's service. Eventually he had bought freedom and land for his family with the silver provided to him by Alfred. He had a good life, and while he had not been free for a time he had always been loved by his family and fed.

So nothing prepared him for the wretched souls that disembarked from the small boat that came ashore from the slaver's ship. Something was dangling from the front of that ship, and the gulls were flying at it, cawing and arguing with one another. Something about that unknown thing made the hair on the back of Steapa's neck stand up, but he couldn't spend any more time thinking about it because things were happening on the beach. 

The slaves are walking in a line to the tent as their master calls for Jonis the slaver. Steapa can smell the stench of the poor bastards from here, and can see how the flesh hangs from their bones with angry, red, open sores. He scans their faces, and although it is difficult to tell from this distance and with their ratty, overgrown hair and beards, Steapa does not think he sees Uhtred among them. These men are beaten, they are wretches and he can not imagine the proud, cock-sure Uhtred of Bebbanburg would ever come to such a state.

Things are happening at the tent. Danes appear, and Ragnar, the reason Steapa is here on this quest to find Uhtred, growls low. "That's Sven Kjartenson," he says. Ragnar is a fierce looking man who almost matches Steapa in size. The pagan is rather likeable, and Steapa has admired the man's single handed focus on finding his brother. Steapa has orders to kill him, of course, if he tries anything other than finding Uhtred and taking him south. 

Hild gasps as the man Ragnar has called Sven calls for Uhtred, and then walks the line once, twice. Sven stops in front of a particularly wretched soul. "That's him," Hild says in disbelief. Steapa waves them to the horses, and as they mount, there is a tussle at the tent. When they charge in, Sven is about to cut the wretch's throat. He thinks again it can not be Uhtred as they attack. 

He's wrong though. He can't believe it, but he's wrong. His definitions of slavery, cruelty and broken are rewritten that day.

They chase away the Danes, and they cut chains. One particularly big slave, looking no less wretched but more steady than Uhtred, slips quietly towards the injured slave master struggling to the row boat on the shore. It's a miracle the wretched man can walk at all, yet alone raise a sword, yet raise a sword he does. He runs the slave master through the throat, then turns and meets Uhtred's dull eyes where he clings to his brother.

"Halig," Uhtred whispers, and Hild inhales sharply. Uhtred is staring at the ship beaches beyond the breaking surf. Hild follows his line of vision, and then tugs on Steapa's sleeve. He knows of Halig, who is Uhtred's man. Steapa fought beside them at Ethandun.

Hild walks toward the row boat, her face unreadable, and Steapa follows. They cross paths with the man who killed the slaver, who now can barely keep his feet. He looks at Hild though, and sees her focus.

"Halig is tied to the front of the ship," he says, and Steapa is surprised to hear the Irish lilt to his speech. "He should be taken down, buried." The man is eyeing Hild's cross.

"Who are you?" She asks. 

The Irishman reaches his hand to his face, like perhaps he's forgotten. "I am Finan," he says, and then stumbles in the direction of Uhtred. 

Steapa rows the boat out and cuts the putrid remains of the man who was once Halig down from the prow. He finds a blanket on the rancid ship, and gives it to Hild. She wraps what's left as she cries, the wind carrying her tears to join the salty sea. Steapa digs a hole and carries the wrapped body. The man called Finan comes, bringing a discarded sword and shield. He silently hands them to Hild, makes the sign of the cross, and turns away. Steapa stands stoically beside her as Hild pray for him and cries. May God be with him.

**

They speak around the fire, watching Uhtred and Finan pick at the food they've been given. The Irishman talks more than Uhtred. The other slaves had taken silver and food Ragnar had offered and fled, but Finan remains. When Ragnar asks, Finan says simply, "We are bound, I'd say." Steapa thinks about the sign of the cross the man had made. He's a Christian, yet he binds himself to a Pagan lord. Interesting how Uhtred manages devotion from an interesting and diverse collection of men. They wait three days for Uhtred and Finan for regain some strength, and then they ride. But first, Uhtred reclaims his woman, and Steapa is not fast enough to keep Uhtred from killing a priest. Hild tries to stop him, but the Christian Irishman, Steapa notes, stands with his arms crossed, his hand on his sword hilt. Steapa learns later just how fast he can pull that sword to the ready.

**  
As much as Steapa would rather continue in the palace with Alfred, and go home to his lovely, petite wife every night, he is sent north once again to babysit Uhtred as he goes to assist Guthred. Steapa is, of course, under instruction to kill him if he does anything he shouldn't.

Steapa notes that the Irishman is never far from Uhtred's side now. As they ride to Eforwich, he is immediately behind Uhtred. He's found armor and cut his beard and hair, binding it low on his neck. The armor he wears is ill-fitting, and Steapa supposed it is piece-mealed from what he could find in Winchester. The Irishman's arms are bare, and Steapa is not surprised to see a plethora of scars decorating the man's arms. Finan also has an arm band, and that does give him pause. Arm bands are a status symbol among the heathen, a sign of a strong warrior, and Steapa finds it odd that the Irishman has followed the Danish custom. Has Uhtred given his man the band? 

Both Finan and Uhtred look stronger and more whole with every passing day, but there is still something wild in Lord Uhtred's eyes that was not there before. Steapa does not know how Uhtred will react to seeing Guthred. He has his orders, but he would prefer not to kill the Lord Uhtred. He rather likes the man. Aethelwold whines about the length of the ride and Steapa rolls his eyes. Sometimes he feels more like a nursemaid than a warrior.

They end up in Loidis where Ragnar's woman Brida has gathered his men, and as she repeatedly declares they should kill King Guthred, Steapa wishes the king had silenced her toxic personality long ago. They need to take care of Guthred's problem, which is Sigfried and Eric Thurginson, not talk of blood fueds and killing a king. Steapa really doesn't want to kill Uhtred, but it looks like he just might have to if Brida has her way. The Irishman, though, is grinning at her. "Your woman has the balls of a bear, Ragnar," he declares in his Irish lilt. "I like her." Then the Irishman actually puts his mouth to good use, for he's the one who comes up with a plan.

Soon enough, they are standing in the rain outside Erik and Sigfried's camp. Only Uhtred, himself and Finan will go in, for they will sneak into the camp and take Erik and Sigfried as they sleep. To Steapa's surprise, Finan pats his chest. "I hope you are light on your feet, big man." The Irishman talks too much, he thinks as they slip into the rain.

The Irishman is silent and lethal in the Danish camp though. He is quick, and Steapa thinks he would not be a bad man to stand beside in a shield wall. Uhtred takes Sigfried's sword hand, and the brothers agree to leave Northumbria.

Next they go to Guthred, and Uhtred is barely restrained rage. Steapa is certain he will have to kill him, and knows that means he will probably have to kill the Irishman too. Shame. Uhtred clears a table when they arrive in Eforwich and Steapa reaches for his sword, fearing for Guthred's life as Father Beocca bellows at Uhtred. As Steapa steps forward to do his do his duty, Finan says simply, "Steapa, no," and reaches for his sword. For some strange reason, he trusts the look in Finan's eyes, and Steapa removes his hand from his sword. Guthred gives them the men to attack Dunholm. They kill Kjarten, and then Steapa gets to go home to his wife. Uhtred of Beddenburg returns with him, along with the Irishman, and he does not need to kill Uhtred after all.

**

A relative peace holds. Steapa's wife gives him another daughter and a third son. He spends his days guarding Alfred and his nights in her bed, and life is good. Whenever Uhtred of Beddenburg comes to visit, he always brings the Irishman, and Finan still has not learned the value of silence. Steapa almost wishes there would be a chance to fight, because it's the only time the smaller man's mouth stops moving. 

"Hey, big man!" Finan greets him one day. "How many men did ye step on today on yer way to the castle?"

"Finan," he says non-committally.

"I heard yet wife gave ye another son. I hope this one isn't as ugly as ye are." Finan grins at him and slaps him on the shoulder. No one else ever dares touch him, but the Irishman is a very handsy fool. "Five wee Steapas, your wife must both be a saint and built like an ox."

"Two are daughters," he says with a smile. 

"Poor wee girls, I hope they are not as ugly as you."

Uhtred returns from meeting with Alfred, and Finan grins, tossing his Lord his sword and waving merrily at Steapa. Steapa can only shake his head as they turn to leave, side by side, Christian and Dane. He remembers Finan's words on that Northumbrian beach. We are bound. There are few men Steapa trusts with his life, but Finan and Uhtred are among them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! So many great prompts this go-round. There was also a post on tumblr about Finan teasing Steapa, and that inspired the little bit at the end. As with all the TLKFFF prompts, this is an unedited quick write, so I apologize for any mistakes.


End file.
